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Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

S. COOPER.

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MACHINE FOB. LABELING'BOTTLBS, &c. ,270.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet '21 S. COOPER. MACHINE FOR LABELING BOTTLES, &t.

No. 439,270. Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

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(No Model.) 7 4 Sheets-Sheet '3. S. COOPER.

MACHINE FOR LABELING BOTTLES, 8w.

No. 439,270. Patented OQt. 28, 1890.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-'Shee't 4.

S. COOPER.

MACHINE FORLABBLINGBO'I'TLES,&c. w

No. 439,270. Pateht ed oct. 28, I890;

UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE. I

SAMUEL COOPER, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE FOURTH TO ALLAN J. CARSWELL, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR LABELING BOTTLES, &.C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,270, dated October as, 1890.

Application filed May 19, 1890. Serial No- 35 2,394- (N model.)

' T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL COOPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manchester, the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire,have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Labeling Bottles, &c., of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bottle-labeling machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line w m of Fig. 1, looking toward the right. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3 y of Fig. 1, looking toward the left. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the central portion of the machine on the line 2 z of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the central portion of the machine, illustrating the friction device for starting and stopping the upper pair of feed-rolls. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of the device for applying adhesive substance to the exterior surface of the bottles. Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the endless carrying-belt and one of the clamping devices by which the bottles are held in place thereon in a continuous line, one behind the other. Fig. 9 is a vertical section through a part of the central portion of the machine, including a portion of the feed-rolls and parts adjacent thereto, illustrating a modification of my invention. 3 5 My invention relates to machines for at taching labels to bottles or other receptacles, and has for its object to provide a simple, durable, and effective machine of this character, which will perform its work with great rapidity, thus effecting a. material saving in time and labor.

To this end myinvention consists in an organized machine embodying an endless carrying-belt provided with devices for securely holding the bottles in place thereon at suitable distances apart, a device for applying an adhesive substance to that portion of the surface of the bottle to which the label is to be afiixed, mechanism for carrying the printed label onto the bottle and rolling or smoothing it down thereon, a table or rest located beneath the presser and adapted to support that portion of the belt upon which the bottle is placed while the label is being applied, and: 2 a device for separating the labels one by one from a continuous strip and automatically arresting the movement of the latter for a predetermined length of time, controlled by the distance between the end of the label on one bottle and that portion of the succeeding hot tle where the next label is to commence, whereby as the bottles are successively carried along in a continuous line by the endless belt a label is properly and smoothly aflixed' to each one in the exact'position required, as hereinafter more particularly described; and my invention also consists in certain novel combinations of parts and details of construction, as hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims. In the said drawings, D represents the frame-work of the machine, consisting of two side pieces connected together at their opposite ends by legs or supports, as seen inFigs. 1 and 2. An endless belt A, composed of leather, rubber, or other suitable material, .is stretched over a pair of pulleys B C, theshafts of which run in suitable bearings at opposite ends of the f1'ame-work,'said belt receiving its motion from the pulley B, the shaft H of .3 which is provided with fast and loose pulleys H H and is driven by a belt (not shown) from any suitable power. On the shaft H .is placed another pulley H, from which motion is communicated by means of a belt I to' a, pulley K, and thence by means of gears toa series of rolls, the purpose ofwhich will be hereinafter described. Upon the surface of the endless belt A, upon which are placed the bottles to be lago beled, are secured at equal distances apart by means of screws or otherwise a series of wooden blocks E, the intervals between said blocks depending upon the length of the bottles to which the labels are to be applied. 5 Each of these blocks is provided with an aperture, through which passes a pin 1S,'having a head or button F, the rounded end of which comes into contact with the base of the bottle, and is forced tightly against the same by the pressure of a spiral spring F, which encircles the pin 18 between the back of the head and the block E, the pin passing through the block and projecting rearwardly therefrom sufficiently to enter the neck or mouth of the succeeding bottle, thus forming a guide or holder for the neck end of the bottle, the opposite end or base of which is securely held by the spring-button of the clamping device next behind. This clamping device or holder is exceedingly simple and easily operated, the neck of each bottle being placed over the end of one of the pins 18 and then brought down upon the surface of the endless belt A and against the next succeeding spring-head F, whereby it is held securely in place upon the carrying-belt in line therewith and at right angles to the rolls to be hereinafter described, by which the labels are fed into the machine and carried onto the bottles to which they are to be attached.

L L are a pair of standards secured to and projecting upward from the inner side of the frame D, forming supports for the feed-rolls and for a stud upon which runs the pulleyK and a gear M, secured thereto. This gear M meshes with and drives two gears, one N beneath it on the end of the shaft of a roll 0, and another P on the end of the shaft of a roll Q. The gear P meshes with a gear P on the end of the shaft of a roll S, which runsin contact with the roll Q, and motion is thus communicated from the pulley K and gear M to the gears N, P, and P and rolls 0, Q, and S, as seen in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5.

Opposite to the roll 0 and running in contact therewith is a smaller roll R, to one end of the shaft of which is secured a gear R, which meshes with the gear N, the rolls 0 R Q S, arranged in pairs, as shown, being thus all geared together, so that they will run with equal surface velocity.

Above the pair of rolls Q S is placed another similar pair of rolls X Y, the shafts of which are connected by gears X and Y, Fig. 1. To the end of the shaft of the roll X, opposite to the gear X, is secured a grooved frictionwheel V, which is driven to actuate the rolls X Y by the contact therewith of an intermediate grooved friction-wheel U, which derives its motion from contact with a third grooved friction-wheel T, secured to one end of the shaft of the roll S and of the same diameter as the latter, the motion of the roll S being thus transmit-ted to the rolls X Y, when all three of the friction-wheels T U XV are in contact. When, however, the intermediate friction-wheel U is withdrawn from contact with its driver T the continuous rotary motion of the roll S ceases to be transmitted to the friction-wheel WV, and the rolls X Y then instantly stop and remain at rest until motion is again transmited to them by the contact of all of the friction-wheels. It will thus be seen that the motion of the upper pair of rolls X Y is controlled by the position of the intermediate frictionwheel U, and will start or stop as the latter is in'or out of contact with the wheels T W. The position of the friction-wheel U is governed by the movement of an elbow or bell-crank lever V, which is pivoted at its center upon a stud or stationary bearing V projecting from the standard L,.and carrying at its upper end the stud uponwhich the friction-wheel U is mounted. To the outer end of the lever V is pivoted a rod d, provided at its lower end with a foot-piece and extending down upon one side of the belt A into a position to be operated by rollers f, mounted upon studs projecting laterally from the blocks E, said rollers passing in succession over a shoe e, attached to the foot-piece of the rod (1. By this construction whenever in their passage the blocks E bring their rollers f into contact with the shoe 6 the rod d is drawn downward and the upper arm of the lever V outward, whereby the friction-wheel U is withdrawn out of contact with the friction-wheel T, thus instantly arresting the motion of the rolls X and Y. As soon, however, as the roll f passes off the shoe e the lever V is instantly returned to its former position by a spring V thus bringing the friction-wheel U again into contact with the friction-wheels T and \V, when the rolls X Y will be again set in motion.

The length of time during which the rolls X Y continue to revolve is governed by the length of the space on the bottle occupied by the label, and the time during which said rolls remain at rest is governed by the distance from the end or bottom of the label on one bottle G to the point on the surface of the next bottle G, where its label will begin, this distance equaling the length of the shoe e, the parts being all properly arranged and timed to produce this result.

A flanged drum a is hung in suitable bearings at the top of the standards L L and has wound upon it a strip of paper 30, Fig. 5, of the width of the labels and having the desired printed matter thereon, a row of perforations extending transversely across the stripbetween each two adjoining labels to enable them to be easily torn apart. The necessary friction is applied to the drum a to prevent the strip of labels from unwinding too freely by means of a cord a passing around the grooved periphery of one of its heads, one end of the cord being fastened to the standard L and the opposite end carrying a light weight35. The slight friction thus applied serves to hold the strip of labels stretched tightly between the drum a and the bite of the rolls X and Y, and when the latter are set in motion,as previously described, the strip of labels is drawn down from the drum a between said rolls, and is thence carried between a pair of guides b b to the bite of the next pair of rolls Q and S, after passing through which it is carried down between another pair of guides 12 b and presented to the, lower pair of rolls 0 R, and after. passing between the latter is guided by a stationary curved guide down to the surface of the bottle, which has been brought by'the carryingbelt A into the exact position required to receive the end of the label. As soon as the motion of the feed-rolls X Y is arrested by the action of the lever V and friction-wheels, as previously explained, the movement of the strip of labels in a downward direction is stopped, and as the lower pairs of rolls Q S and O R still continue to revolve the label which is between them will be torn off from the strip above at the line of perforations and carried down to properly meet the bottle on the beltA. The roll 0,

the surface of which is composed of soft rubber, bristles, or other suitable material, then acts as a presser to roll or smooth down the label as it is laid upon the surface of the bottle passing beneath it, said surface for a distance equal to the length of thelabel havingbeen previously pasted or gnmmed by a device which will be hereinafter described. As soon as the 4 distance between th'eend 20, Fig. 5, of the mence, the rolls X Y are again set in motion by the action of the succeeding roll f of the belt A on the shoe e, when the strip of labels is again fed forward and the operation continues as before described.

The shoe eis shaped so as to be operated in a downward direction by the rolls f, and is made of the proper length to cause the stoppage of the rolls X and Y for the exact time required, which corresponds to the time occupied by the belt in traveling a distance equal to that from the end or bottom of a label on bottle G to the top of label on bottle G, and as each bottle is carried along by the belt A a roll fcomes into contact with the shoe 6, and through the connections described separates a label from the strip and stops the feed of the succeeding label until the one just separated has traveled the exact distance required to cause the next label to meet the succeeding bottle at the desired point upon its surface. for bottles or labels of different lengths, the shoe e is removed and replaced by another of a suitable length to produce the desired result.

Extending transversely across the center of the machine between the two sides of the frame and immediately beneath the feedrolls is a table or rest D, over and in contact with which the belt A passes,and by means of which that portion upon which the bottle is placed is supported rigidly and prevented from sagging while the label is being rolled or smoothed down upon the bottle, as above described, each bottle as it passes over the table D being thus held up firmly against the presser-roll O, as is necessary to cause the label to be properly applied.

I will now describe the mechanism by which When the machine is to be used the paste, mucila'ge; or'other adhesive substance is applied to that portion of the surface of the bottle'upon which the label is to be placed.

To the frame D, at the right-hand side of the standards L L, are secured a pair of standards 9 g in suitable bearings, at the top of which is supported 'the' shaft of a clothcovered roll h, which runs in a trough 1', extending between the standards 9 and adapted to hold paste, mucilage, or other suitable ad hesive substance, which is taken from the roll h by a rotary brush is, the shaft of which is hung in two side bars'or links Z Z, pivoted upon the shaft of the roll h, as seen in Figs. 2, 3, and 7, whereby the brush may be raised or lowered slightly without moving it out of contact with the paste-roll h from which it receives its supply, the roll hand brush lobeing rotated continuously by means of bands 25 26, Fig. 1, the band 25 receiving its motion from a grooved pulley g on the shaft of the roll 0. The side bars Z Z are drawn down to bring the brush into contact with the surface of the bottle by a rod n, depending from a projection m on the side bar Z, and carrying at its lower end a roll 0, which lies in the path of and is adapted to be depressed by each one of a series of narrow strips 13, composed of flexible material and secured to the under side of the belt A along one edge, as seen in Figs. 3, 4:, 5, and 7 at proper distances apart to correspond to the length of the bottlesbeing labeled, and of the'same length as the space on each bottle to be pasted or gummed, said space being of the exact length and width of the label to be aflixed to the bottle. The bearing or upper surface of the table D is of a little less width than the belt A, in order to allow the strips p to pass on one side of the same, as

seen in Figs. 3 and 4. In this manner as each IIO 0,-which takes place when a space equal to the length of the label has been pasted, a spring m, Fig. 7, acting under the side bar Z, raises the pasting-roll out of contact with the bottle, which is then carried forward by the belt A beneath the feed-rolls to receive the label, as before described, each bottle being thus operated upon in turn by the pastingbrush is. The several operations of bringing down and separating each label from a continuous strip, gumming or pasting each bottle .in succession, and rolling or smoothing down each labelin its place upon the gummed surface of the bottle, are thus all performed automatically and continuously by the mechanism described, which is actuated by suitable power from a single shaft, all of the working parts being properly timed with relation to each other to produce accurate and perfect work, the bottles being easily and quickly placed upon the carrying-belt, one behind the other, and taken off at the left-hand end of the machine with their labels properly aflixed and smoothly pressed down, whereby a material saving in time and labor is effected.

In some cases it may be found desirable to provide the machine with a printing mechanism or attachment, by means of which the labels may be printed as the strip passes along to the bottles.

In Fig. 9 is represented a modification in which the label is printed in its passage between the upper'pair of feed-rolls X Y. The roll Y in this case has its surface engraved or provided with a suitable type-form to print the label, the other roll X acting as an impression-roll. The printing or form roll, the periphery of which corresponds to the length of the label, receives its supply of ink from any suitable inking rolls or device 50, and the impression-cylinder is provided with punches 51, adapted to enter dies or apertures in the type-cylinder to produce a line of perforations at the end of each label, whereby they may be separated from each other as previously described; but any other, suitable device may be employed for severing the printed labels from the strip at the proper time to insure accurate delivery to the surface of the bottles.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for labeling bottles, &c., the combination, with the endless carryingbelt provided with clamping devices for holding a series of bottles in line thereon, of feedrolls for carrying the label down upon the surface of the bottle, anda presser for rolling or smoothing down the label thereon, said feed-rolls being timed to deliver the end of the label at a predetermined point on the surface of the bottle as the latter is carried forward by the endless belt, substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine for labeling bottles, &c., the combination, with the endless carryingbelt provided with clamping devices for holding aseries of bottles in line thereon, of feedrolls for carrying the label down upon the surface of the bottle, a presser device for rolling or smoothing down the label thereon, and a table or rest located beneath the presser and adapted to support that portion of the belt upon which the bottle is placed, whereby the bottle is held up firmly against the presser while the label is being rolled or smoothed down thereby, substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine for labeling bottles, &c., the combination of the endless carrying-belt provided with clamping devices for holding a series of bottles in line thereon, a pasting or gumming device operating automatically to apply an adhesive substance to that portion only of the surface of the bottle to be covered by the label, feed-rolls for carrying the label onto the bottle at the desired point-,a'presser for rolling or smoothing down the label upon the bottle as it passes thereunder, and a table or rest for supporting the belt and bottle as the latter passes beneath the presser, substantially as described.

a. In a machine for labeling bottles, &c., the combination, with the endless carryingbelt provided with clamping devices for holding a series of bottlesin line thereon and continuously-revolving teed-rolls adapted to take a label from a continuous strip and carry it onto the surface of the bottle, of an upper pair of feed-rolls adapted to be alternately set in motion and stopped at fixed intervals automatically, whereby the label is separated from the strip by the stoppage of the upper feed-rolls and carried down by the lower feedrolls at the proper time to meet the bottle as it is carried forward by the endless belt, substantially as set forth.

5. In a machine for labeling bottles, &c., the combination, with the endless carryingbelt provided with clamping devices for holding a series of bottles in line thereon, and the lower continuously-revolving feed-rolls, of an upper intermittinglyrotating pair of feedrolls deriving their motion from the continuously-revolving feed-rolls and adapted to be alternately set in motion and stopped at fixed intervals by automatic mechanism controlled by the action of the endless carrying-belt, whereby the label is separated from the continuous strip, carried down onto the bottle to meet the same at a predetermined point, and the strip again set in motion and fed forward to cause the next label to meet the succeeding bottle at the proper time and portion of its surface, substantially as set forth.

6. In a machine for labeling bottles, &c., the combination, with the endless carryingbelt provided with clamping devices for holding a series of bottles in line thereon, and the continuously-revolving feed-rolls for delivering the label to the bottle,-of the upper independent pair of feed-rolls intermittingly operated by friction-wheels T W on the shafts of the upper and lower feed-rolls, and an intermediate friction-wheel mounted on a lever actuated in one direction by a spring and provided with a depending rod and foot-piece operated at fixed intervals by rolls or projections on the endless carrying-belt, whereby the upper pair of feed-rolls is alternately stopped and set in motion at the desired times to cause the labels to be separated from the strip and properly meet the bottles as they are carried forward by the endless belt, substantially as set forth.

'7. In a machine for labeling bottles, &c., the combination, with the endless carryingbelt provided with clamping devices for holding a series of bottles in line thereon, and the rest or support D, of the continuously-revolving gear-connected feed-rolls Q S O R, the roll 0 acting as a presser to roll or smooth down the label upon the bottle and having the same surface velocity as the roll R, the guides 19, b, and c, and the upper intermittingly-rotating pair of feed-rolls X Y, adapted to be actuated by the continuously-revolving feed.- rolls and alternately set in motion and stopped at fixed intervals by automatic mechanism controlled by the action of the endless carrying-belt, substantially as set forth.

8. In a machine for labeling bottles, &c., the combination, with the endless carrying-belt, of the bottle-holding clamps consisting of a series of blocks E, secured to said belt at equal distances apart, each block being provided with a spring-actuated pin sliding therethrough and having a head adapted to bear against the base of one bottle, while the opposite end of the pin enters the neck or mouth of the next bottle in line, substantially as set forth.

9. In a machine for labeling bottles, &c., the combination with the endless carrying-belt provided with clamping devices for holding a series of bottles in line thereon, of a brush or roll supplied with an adhesive substance and adapted to be brought into contact with the surface of the bottle by the action of the carrying-belt and automatically removed from said surface after the adhesive substance has been applied to that portion to be covered by the label, substantially as set forth.

10. In a machine for labeling bottles, &c., the combination, with the endless bottle-carrying belt A, provided with strips or projections p, corresponding in length to the surface of the bottle which the label is to cover, of the brush or roll. is, mounted on the pivoted bars or links sive substance from the roll it, revolving in the trough z, the spring on, and the rod H, depending from the bar I and carrying the roll 0, adapted to be acted upon by the strips or projections 19 on the belt A, whereby the brush is brought down upon the surface of the bottle to apply the adhesive substance to the desired portion thereof and then raised out of contact with the same, substantially as set forth. 11. Ina machine forlabelingbottles, &c.,the combination, with the endless carrying-belt and its bottle-holding clamps and the feedrollsoperating substantially as described, of a printing roll or cylinder adapted to print the labels upon a plain stripof paper during its passage toward the bottle, substantially as set forth.

1 12. In a machine for labeling bottles, &c., the combination, with the endless carrying-belt with its bottle-holding clamps and the continuously-revolving feed-rolls operating as described, of an upper pair of intermittinglyrotating feed-rolls operated and controlled by automatic mechanism substantially as described, said upper feed-rolls consisting of a type or printing cylinder and an impressioncylinder, whereby the label is printed in its passage to the bottle, substantially as set forth. Witness my hand this 15th day of May, A.

SAMUEL COOPER. In presence of FRANK BLAISDELL, GEORGE H. WARREN. 

